You’ve heard of bomb-sniffing dogs.
You’ve heard of drug-sniffing dogs.
Did you know that dogs can be trained to sniff out bedbugs?
John Russell, president of Action Pest Control, says that the average price of a suitable dog is about $10,000.00. That’s before the training and transportation to the end user.
Then, there is the maintenance. Not only must the working dogs have food, water, housing and veterinary care, but they require regular practice to remain effective.
The payoff is good, though. Beagles and Labrador retrievers are the preferred breeds, and pest control agencies can charge $350.00 to $500.00 per hour.
Bedbugs are a rising problem in the United States, and Russell says that facilities from Fortune 500 offices to nursing homes suffer from infestation of the nasty critters.
The dogs are trained to alert on living bedbugs, which can be difficult to find without a trained canine. Worse, conventional treatments often don’t work.
John Russell reports that his firm is about to purchase their fourth bedbug sniffing dog, and he will pay for himself in just one month.
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.